Don't Take Her Away From Me!
by Michael Storm
Summary: Read this to find out. Please flame if you must! Just give me some feedback on how you think this is! PS: This is post OoT.


**Don't Take Her Away From Me:**

"Link," called a voice. "Time to go."

My father and I were going to catch some fish, and we were going to be gone for the whole day. I had waited for this day for the whole week. Finally, he was on his day off, of protecting the king. Sure, I was glad that he did his job, but sometimes that was all he did.

I walked out the front door, and saw my dad outside, looking out across the field.

"What are you looking at?" I asked.

"Nothing," he answered.

"Then let's go," I replied.

"No, wait," he returned.

"Fine," I said. "You can stay and-" I stopped, as I saw a girl come up to the gate. No, it wasn't a girl. It was _Zelda!_

_Why is the Princess of Hyrule here?_ I thought to myself.

"Dad," I began, "why is she here?"

"Because son," he started, "she asked me to come along. I know you might not like this, but it's the way she wanted it. I couldn't refuse."

"Yeah," I scoffed.

"Please don't take her, Daddy," I said.

"We have to," he told me. "Now, one more word, and I will make you sorry that you spoke."

It was those words that stopped me. He wasn't the kind of man who hit people, but he _was_ the kind who did what was necessary, no matter what.

"Okay," I sighed.

We went to Lake Hylia, and spent the day there. By the end of the day, I was still skeptical about Zelda, but she still tried to make me warm up to her.

I laid there in bed, thinking, and wondering. I thought about her, and how she acted around me. It seemed as if she liked me. _No, she couldn't._ I thought. _Nah, she isn't._

* * *

**Ten Years Later:**

I walked into the theater, waiting for Zelda. Yes, I liked being around her now. In fact, we were a couple. Her dad, the king, actually approved of us being together. I actually loved her a lot.

We sat in the middle row, and waited for the play to start.  
"Link," Zelda said.

"Yes, Love?" I responded.

"Why-" she began, then stopped, and instead, screamed, _"Watch out!"_

I turned around, and saw a man come up to me, and I dove out of the way of his knife.

"Don't move, or she dies," said a voice. I turned around again, and saw the man holding Zelda, with the knife pressed to her throat.

"Don't do this," I warned.

"Or what?" he scoffed. "You're going to kill me? I've already lost everything I had. My wife, kids, my job, my house, and all the things I owned. You can't do anything to hurt me worse than how I feel right now."

"Maybe not," I agreed. "Just don't hurt her. Take anything of mine that you want, just don't take the girl."

He slowly let go of her, and walked over to me. "You mean it?"

"Yes," I answered. "Take this." I handed him my shield that I always carried around with me.

"LINK! NO!" Zelda screamed.

I gave her a look that said that I knew what I was doing. The man looked at the shield, and said, "You know how much this costs?"

"Yes," I told him, "but it doesn't cost as much as a life does. Those are irreplaceable."

"You're right," he sighed. "Thanks." He started handing the shield back, but I told him to keep it. "Who knows, maybe you'll need it later on in life. I know I did."

"Thank you again," he said. "By the way, who are you?"

"I'm the Hero of Time," I answered.

He nodded, then walked away.

"Link, why did you-" Zelda began.

"What?" I interrupted. "Give the man my shield?"

"Yes," she agreed.

"I could see his pain in his eyes, and I knew what he was going through," I told her. "Maybe someday you will understand."

* * *

**Five Years Later:**

"Dad!" I called out. "Where's Zelda?"

"She's at the Castle's Clinic," he told me.

"Why is she there?" I asked. "She isn't due for another week."

"I know," he replied. "Just go to her."

"Thanks," I said.

I ran out the door, and ran to the castle gates. I sped through the courtyard, and headed towards the clinic, hoping that Zelda was still in labor. Sure, I didn't want her to be in pain, but I wanted to be there when the babies were born. Yes, we were having twins, one boy, and one girl.

I got to the birthing room, and a doctor was there, working with Zelda.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Nurse," the doctor called out.

"Here," said a nurse coming up to him.

"Take care of her, I'll be back in a second."

He walked up to me, and motioned for me to follow him, so I did.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"The babies are fine, but we need you to stay out of the room," the doctor told me.

"Why?" I questioned.

"Because she's dying," he answered, then left.

I stood there in shock. I felt myself drop to the ground on my knees, and I did the last thing _anyone_, much less me, would expect.

I prayed.

_Goddesses, I know I have been hard on you, but I really need your help right now. Zelda is dying, and I would like to give her my last breath, so she can live._

_Do you really want this? _I heard a voice ask.

_Yes, I do_

_You know what will happen, right?_

_Yes, _I sighed.

_Okay. _I felt myself get sleepier, and so I closed my eyes. I fell on the floor, and a nurse came into the hallway, and yelled for a doctor. I smiled for the last time, knowing that Zelda would be okay.

* * *

"Get a doctor!" yelled one of the nurses. She knelt by Link's unmoving form, and felt for a pulse.

"I'm here," said a voice.

"Help me with him," she told him.

They tried everything, but nothing could revive Link. It was as if the Goddesses had decreed that he would die, and that there was nothing they could do about it.

"Note that the time of death is at 9:00 PM." The doctor said.

* * *

I lied there, halfway between death and sleep.

"Zelda," said a voice. I looked around, and saw Link. We were on some sort of platform, with blue light surrounding us.

"Link?" I responded. "What are you doing here?"

"Zelda, you were dying, and I gave my last breath so you could live," he said.

"But that means-" I started.

"Yes," he finished. "I'm dead. Please take care of our children."

"But!" I began, but he was gone, and I was falling.

* * *

"She's coming to!" said a nurse.

I groaned, and opened my eyes. I couldn't believe that Link sacrificed his life for me. It was just too hard to.

"Where's Link?" I asked.

The nurse and doctor looked at each other.

"Honey," the nurse began.

"_Don't honey me! Where's my husband!"_ I yelled.

"He's dead," the doctor told me.

I stopped, and looked at him for any signs that said he was joking, and saw the truth in his eyes.

"We don't know what happened," the nurse continued for him. "One second, he was fine, the next, he just fell, and didn't get up."

I lied back down, and cried, as they left the room. My Link was gone.

* * *

I walked past the staring people, to put a rose on the casket. It was the day of Link's funeral, and everyone had gathered in the courtyard.

We had all met Link somehow, and we still couldn't believe he was gone, much less me. It still felt as if he was there. Our kids were walking beside me, and I knew tears were streaming down my face, but I didn't care. Let the people see the princess crying. Let them see that she was in love. I couldn't care less about what people would say about me.

I put the rose on the head of the coffin, and took a step back. Then, quietly, I walked up to the podium, and spoke softly.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Link," I began. I talked about how all life passed on, and how new life began, and then I started wrapping up my speech.

"Link was a hero, in every sense. He saved, not just me, or the people here, he saved the world. I remember one time, when we were at a play, some guy came up and held me hostage until Link gave him something. Link gave him his shield, spoke with the guy, and I was let go. He was amazing."

I walked off of the stage, and went to the edge of the crowd, that stood by the hole that the casket was in. I looked in, and sighed. I knew this had to be done. I picked up a handful of dirt, and scattered it across the top, some of it landing on the rose.

* * *

Later that day, I went to my room, and shut the door. I turned around, and on my pillow, was a blood-red rose. I picked it up, and it smelled _just like him!_

"I'll always be with you," said a voice.

I looked up, and something made me walk over to the window. I looked out, and I saw a faint outline of a boy, looking at the castle. Looking straight at me. He smiled, and then vanished into the forest.

* * *

**Author's Note: I based this story off of the song, Don't Take the Girl, by Tim McGraw. I don't own the song, nor do I own Legend of Zelda.**


End file.
